Yes, Coffee Has Antioxidants But Does That Make It Healthy? : Exclusive Renegade Health Article

How does coffee stack up against the antioxidant power of high bush cranberries?

I get coffee questions all the time…

Here’s one from Louis that we received recently:

“What can Kevin say about the anti-oxidants supposed to be in coffee?”

It’s a great question and deserves more detail than I’ve ever given about coffee before.

I’m going to start by stating, yes, coffee does have antioxidants.

In fact, all non-processed foods that you eat contain antioxidants. These compounds help protect your body from oxidative stress.

They basically do what rust-proof paint would do to a car – protect it from falling apart.

So, by adding them to our natural foods, nature tells us that antioxidants are an important part of our diet, but the question Louis poses is should we get them from drinking coffee?

Simply, I say no.

But here’s why in detail:
1. Where did all this talk about coffee and antioxidants come from in the first place?

In order to figure out some answers you have to get to the source…

In 2005, there was a study done by The American Chemical Society that basically concluded, Americans get most of their antioxidants from coffee.

The study didn’t really prove anything, because most Americans have a diet that is devoid of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables, so any food that has any amount of antioxidants that is eaten more than 1-2 times a day would rank fairly high on the list.

The reason why the study got so much attention, and still is a thorn in my side, is because of the press release that was sent out by The American Chemical Society had a misleading headline.

Anyone can see that this headline states something extremely different than what was found in the study, and the headline is why almost every main media organization published something about it back in 2005.

This is the best news any American has ever heard.

“Coffee is actually good for you!”

You can even see why the media was fooled.

Look at this graph that was published with the press release:

Doesn’t this visual representation make coffee look like a superfood?

What the graph really shows, if you read into it, is that Americans eat like crap.

Here’s a statement from study leader Joe Vinson, Ph.D to back that up:

“Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber,” Vinson says. Dates, cranberries and red grapes are among the top fruits for antioxidants on the basis of concentration (antioxidants per serving size), he says.”

So for over 6 years now, health advocates, writers and experts have had to repair the damage done by a single press release headline.

(NOTE: I can’t say this is the definitive source of this misconception, but it definitely one of them.)

2. Just because a food has antioxidants doesn’t mean we should eat it.

Moving on from media blunders (or calculated media manipulation), I want to discuss this on a much deeper level.

As you know blueberries, cherries, pomegranates are all high sources of antioxidants. In fact, all non-processed foods have antioxidants.

But antioxidants shouldn’t be the only reason why you choose to eat certain foods.

Why?

Here are some other foods that contain antioxidants:

Welch’s Grape Juice from Concentrate

VitmainWater

Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts

Processed Cheese

Any food that contains the preservatives: BHT and BHA

If you were to live off of these antioxidant containing foods for a lifetime you may experience a little oxidation.

Now these examples are extreme, but based on this evidence, the presence of antioxidants isn’t the only factor in deciding what foods to eat – coffee included.

3. The reason we know about antioxidants is marketing.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not all that good either.

Remember, every non-processed food you can eat contains antioxidants. These compounds are the plant’s natural protection from “aging.”

So this means a diet rich in non-processed vegetable foods, will be sufficient in your antioxidant needs.

You don’t need a study to show you that.

The reason we hear about blueberries, pomegranates and cherries being high in antioxidants is because those who have an interest in selling these products want to market to you.

Now, look, I don’t have any problem with the blueberry or pomegranate growers funding a study to show that there are more antioxidants in their berries than other fruits and vegetables.

In fact, doing so has likely helped people think about eating more fruits.

The negative side is that comparing foods and their antioxidant levels in a scientific way has unfairly put emphasis on only one aspect of nutrition and minimized the role of the thousands of other compounds.

The same can be said for Omega 3 oils, calcium, vitamin D and more – again not all bad, but not all good either.

4. The reason we know about antioxidants is reductionist science.

As humans, we have a very strong need to take things apart to see how they work.

I used to take apart all my mechanical toys when I was young to see if I could figure out how they work. As I got older, I would disassemble my stereo equipment and computers to see what parts may have been causing them to fizzle out and stop working.

Sometimes the problem would be a loose wire while other times it was a piece on a board that needed to be soldered.

Sometimes, just taking it apart and putting it back together again – not making any apparent changes – would fix it.

I have this same interest in how the body and food nutrition works, but I know it has it’s limits.

You can’t take living things apart and put them back together again and expect them to work the same.

I don’t know why scientists don’t understand this simple fact.

If I cut off my hand to examine it, it stops doing the things that hands do like waving, typing, and scratching.

If, when after I’m done examining it, I try to reattach it, there’s a very slim chance that it will ever work again.

The example above is a representation of what we’re doing with reductionist, single nutrient type science.

If you break down the living components of a food, these individual compounds don’t necessarily do all the things that they would do when they were part of the living plant.

So how important is an antioxidant over the whole food sources of them?

Comparatively, they can’t be important at all.

An antioxidant is just an antioxidant.

A whole food contains antioxidants and many other compounds that contribute to good health which makes them much more valuable to you.

In order to understand our bodies better, we need to stop isolating nutrients.

We don’t need science to tell us whole foods are good.

Nor do we need science to tell us that coffee is a good source of antioxidants – particularly when it contains another very suspect compound called caffeine.

5. Coffee has caffeine.

As you can see, the antioxidant thing has been blown out of proportion.

We need to look at coffee as a whole food, not as a source of antioxidants to determine if it’s good or not.

We need to know what it does collectively – regardless of its antioxidant content – when you drink it.

The most potent ingredient in coffee (thanks to reductionist science, LOL!) is caffeine.

This compound is a known stimulant.

Ingesting stimulants, like caffeine, cause an adrenal response in the body. This response increases cortisol which raises blood pressure and heart rate, as well as interferes with other hormone production in the body.

People with elevated cortisol levels produce less DHEA, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and other hormones that give the body balance at both physical and mental levels.

Kevin Gianni is a health author, activist and blogger. He started seriously researching personal and preventative natural health therapies in 2002 when he was struck with the reality that cancer ran deep in his family and if he didn’t change the way he was living — he might go down that same path. Since then, he’s written and edited 6 books on the subject of natural health, diet and fitness. During this time, he’s constantly been humbled by what experts claim they know and what actually is true. This has led him to experiment with many diets and protocols — including vegan, raw food, fasting, medical treatments and more — to find out what is myth and what really works in the real world.

Kevin has also traveled around the world searching for the best protocols, foods, medicines and clinics around and bringing them to the readers of his blog RenegadeHealth.com — which is one of the most widely read natural health blogs in the world with hundreds of thousands of visitors a month from over 150 countries around the world.

46 COMMENTS ON THIS POST

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Better watch out Kevin with the Super food reference. You know someone will use it in there marketing for some new type of diet. I stopped drinking coffee 4 years ago and have no desire to drink it anymore. The only flavored drinks I consume are fresh juices I make myself.
Fantastic newsletter Thanks

I thought that was interesting that just the smell of the coffee did the trick for you and Annmarie….from a macrobiotic point of view, constipation is very yang (tight, constricted) and coffee is very yin (expanded, relaxed). I suspect that you had been affected by all the travelling you’d been doing, which makes people yang, and that the smell of the coffee, which I assume you both enjoyed?…. relaxed you enough (making you more yin) so that you could “let go”!!!

Bravo for all the information you generously give us! Every time I read your post, I become more convinced that eating more fruits and veggies is the right way to go!
(Can I mention a grammar mistake that so many people make with “it’s” and “its”? “It’s” is the contraction for “it is” as “if it’s good or not”). “Its” is a possessive adjective
as “it has its limits” –and NOT “it’s limits” as some write…)

I do not normally drink coffee. But a few months ago, a WaWa convenience store opened in the town next door. They were giving away free coffee for the first 2 weeks they were open. So every time I was in the area, I stopped by for a free cup. At the end of these 2 weeks, I happened to try to donate blood. My iron was too low; in fact, it was far lower than it had ever been. When the phlebotomist was counseling me on how to raise my iron level, one thing she strongly recommended was giving up coffee. She said that drinking coffee interferes with the absorption of iron. I’d never heard that before. But I stopped drinking coffee after that. (It helped that it wasn’t free anymore!) About a week and a half later, I tried to donate again and my iron was more than high enough. I did also drink a lot of green smoothies during this time, so I’m sure that helped too. But I’m convinced that not drinking anymore coffee helped as well.

After drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee for many years, I developed tachycardia and a strange dizziness. Not fun. The doctors I consulted asked me if I drank coffee, but dismissed any problems associated with it because I drank only 2 to 3 cups. They put me through their classic tests which included an MRI of my brain and a halter moniter to track my heart activity! The results were negative. I coninuted with these attacks until I finally began researhcing on my own. I bought the book, Caffeine Blues by Stephen Cherniske, and my life was changed forever. After a painful but necessary migraine headache which lasted for 7 days, I finally detoxed and felt like a new person. Teeccino herbal brew saved my life! I still LOVE the smell of coffee brewing, but reach for an alternative after remembering it’s ill effects!

Aren’t the antioxidants and other plusses diminished since the berries have been ROASTED? Imagine if you let your blueberries harden up and then you gently fired them to death, to a point where no one would recognize them as a fruit! A little lackluster in their league, if you know what i mean.
It just seems that some of the basic principles that we examine other foods with for their state of quality never get applied to our daily cup (or gallon) of muddy water.
If someone wants to have their coffee and they claim they genuinely enjoy it, I’m not going to stop them unless it’s an emergency, lol. But if we’re going to use “health” to justify our consumption of the stuff, then we should be prepared to just take a honest look at both sides of opinion.

I think a really good book to read on the subject is Stephen Cherniskie’s ” Caffeine Blues”. It is a very thorough look at coffee, caffeine, and all of the metabolic processes that happen when you drink the black elixir.

Hi guys I miss your shows as well…
It’s seeing you two that makes the info so much more enjoyable.
You two are like family…I so looked forward to seeing you both each evening and hearing what you had to share.

You mention this on the same page as the turmeric product you have for sale but its certainly not clear to me how they relate?

Here in Thailand when you say “turmeric” you get a real fresh root in the fresh markets.

I have tried an organically grown turmeric powder which has been dried low temp and ground at low temp as well and its like nothing else I have ever been able to find.

You wrote on your turmeric marketing page this as well…..

“It extracts and concentrates the medicinal properties of the herbs. Removing all the fibers and unnecessary parts to make the herb as pure as possible. Making just a little bit go a very long way, allowing ¼-1 teaspoon more then enough.”

Hey Kevin, thanks for sharing your knowledge. It’s generous of you to share information like that and it is appreciated.

You know the only problem with coffee is… I like it. I have been 100% raw vegan for 17 days… Lol I know it’s not long at all but I wanted the point of reference. First I had to break the caffeine addictions I had. Maybe I will use it as my party vice now lol (used to be much worse…how things change…lol)

I agree with all your comments. An excellent review of the pros and cons of coffee. The one thing I would add, is that the organic oils in the coffee are very acidic and can significantly drop your PH level in your cells. Try this experiment. Measure your PH level from the second urine of the day, then drink two cups of coffee(black) and wait for an hour and measure it again. The results will speak for themselves. Continuously drinking coffee throughout the day can change the PH levels in both the small and large intestine, and cause a significant die-off of the good bacteria, mainly the acidophilus and bifidus, and cause the growth of anerobic microforms, including the tolerated fungus in the colon. That surely is not good for you.
I doubt very much that drinking a lot of coffee can result in less colorectal cancer. It is the third most prevalent cancer in US after prostate and breast cancer, and people in the US drink significant amounts of coffee per day, so where is that proof? Again, beware of coffee growers bearing gifts.

Of course very well written Kevin, YOu haven’t mentioned that coffee is also very dehydrating. Yes, I used to drink 3 to 4 cups a day. For years I reduced it to 1 and now I drink Teecino but I mix it with a water processed decaf. Not every day. For me there is so much emotional attachment to coffee. As a student in my early twenties my mom and I had always our “coffee time”, at home or in a “coffee house”. I’m glad I discovered Teecino because this has helped a lot to (not totally yet) decrease my coffee consumption. When we go to Europe I absolutely LOVE spending time in a Italian/French style coffee house. (with a pastery or croissant) In such moments herbal tea just doesn’t do it I’m sorry. But I’m getting there. May be I should try your cinnamon tea to replace it all together? I’m glad that I developed taste buds for the O SO HYDRATING GREEN JUICES.

I gave up caffeinated coffee, cold turkey, starting last November.
So there is life after caffein, which I never would have believed. I don’t miss it very much at all.
I have had a third/caf cups a couple of times but haven’t fallen off the wagon.

I am curious about decaf coffe, as well. I gave up caffeine about 8 years ago, but still occasionally enjoy a decaf soy (or almond) latte. Also, along these lines, how do you feel about the occasional square of dark chocolate (85% or better, organic)?

Contrary to comments above, I prefer your blog articles over the videos…primarily because I am in an area with “not so good internet service”…I did enjoy your article and agree totally with your comments – however, I don’t even like the smell of coffee! Keep up the good work – looking forward to the Health Debate!

Because coffee is dehydrating, I don’t recommend people to drink it if they are constipated. Caffeine can help to contract muscles which helps in peristalsis to encourage a bowel movement but because of its dehydrating and diuretic effects it could also be a detriment to someone who is constipated.

Great article! That really puts the pieces together for me. Although it’s fun and interesting to know which foods are high in which specific nutrients, it really is trivial and unnecessary when you are eating a plant based diet. I am curious what’s your opinion on coffee consumption reducing alzheimer’s risk? Thanks so much!!

I have drunk coffee once in the last 10 years. I used to drink 5+ cups a day when I was young and I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t sleep very well. LOL. Coffee is just an addictive drug. Would you take heroin if it had antioxidants?

As a Specialized Kinesiologist I can confirm that I have yet to test a single person’s spirit that said that coffee is good for you.
Just smelling it, in fact, just thinking about it, weakens people.
Think about this…in Nature when an insect bites the coffee bean the insect winds up stupefied, paralyzed and becomes easy prey.
Question: Ever seen the studies showing that organic coffee is has many health benefits?

I think you are missing something that most people don’t know about coffee…you don’t have to get the berries roasted! You can buy them green (http://www.ccmcoffee.com/index.php?cPath=21). Can’t tell you the percentage they are less acidic than roasted (1st roast for mild coffee, 2nd roast for medium or 3rd roast for bold coffee), but I do know that by the 3rd roast they are the most acidic of all. Might be an option for those who don’t want to give up their coffee yet stay closer to alkaline and get more nutrients.

By the way, I only drink it every once in a while….like for the purpose of staying awake while doing night driving. It hits me more as I an sensitive to caffeine. Outside of this I pretty much don’t drink it.

I usually have a heavily diluted cup of coffee first thing in the morning. I’ve given up for extended periods before but I actually enjoy the ritual.

I just wanted to mention that there is an enormous range of ‘coffees’ and they’re not all equally acidic. From my reading, a couple of cups are not dehydrating and our reaction to caffeine as a stimulant is also not equal. You might want to read some of the papers by Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy, professor of nutrigenomics at the University of Toronto. Fascinating stuff.

The only thing I would stay away from is decaf. Water processing is better but most caffeine is extracted using some fairly heavy chemical processes.

Basically, I guess I’m saying that as with everything results vary (heavily by person). From what I’ve read, most of us have nothing to fear from a morning cup of coffee and could actually benefit from it. (Sorry Kevin – one of my pet subjects!)

Just wanted to say I am loving your blog posts. I’ve been a long time subscriber, but with two (loud) kids running around I find it much easier to read the information.

Thanks for the info on coffee – I’ve been back & forth on giving it up for a while now. I’m not addicted to the caffeine, only to the hot drink in the morning. Maybe I’ll have to try some of the delicious cinnamon bark tea as a replacement.

I used to be an avid coffee drinker but now drink only cereal “coffee ” (for want of a better word ). My blood pressure has come down from 176/110 123/75 and I could not be more pleased as I am 73 yrs old. I have not missed coffee at all and will not go back to drinking it. I have developed a taste for the substitute and look forward to my “coffee break ” each morning. Together with my green smothies and my wheat grass juice I think my old age is as healthy as could be.
Thank you Kevin for all that you share with us. Blessed be..Jan

I’m 54, and the first and last time I drank coffee was when I was a teeenager. First sip was disgusting and the next two got me sick to my stomach. Ever since I’ve enjoyed water (with lemon juice or apple cider vinager), juices and my homemade herbal teas with a touch of honey or stevia.

A lot of people will just switch to decaffeinated coffee to avoid the caffeine. The process to decaffeinate the coffee not only destroys the antioxidants but adds chemicals at the same time.

There is also research, and valid research, that shows some caffeine is good for the body. But I do think 5-6 cups of coffee is a little more than some.

Now what most people do not realize is the acidity of coffee and what that is doing to the body. And just because you hide that acidity with lots of milk or sugar or both does not mean the acid is gone.

Save the coffee to enjoy every now and then and as Kevin has pointed get the antioxidants from the fruit.

Good article. Lots of info I didn’t know. But I did know the bottom line.

I have a question on another subject. Awhile ago Kevin did a video interview/tour with a man in his yard which was converted to raised bed gardening. I don’t remember his website. Does anybody remember? I’ll check back here for an answer.

Lots of great responses here from everyone. Great article Kevin!
I particularly enjoyed Cheryl’s respond to keeping everything in perspective(#39).
My Summary: Everything in moderation. You like coffee, drink it! One organic daily cup is probably less harmful or beneficial to the system than drinking a pot all day. Just remember to rehydrate with a balance of plenty of other fluids like good, pure water and green drinks. And look to receive natural occurring anti-oxidents in your 5-6 portions of fresh organic fruits and vegetables daily!!

I would say that the misconceptions about coffee are right up there with the misconceptions about milk, wheat, saturated fat and all the other wrongly demonized foods by silly Americans. There is significant research showing that coffee drinkers have a much lower incidence if Parkinson’s disease, colon cancer, liver disease and cancer in general. Of course it needs to be organic coffee. Coffee and black tea are herbs, not appropriate for everyone but with medicinal value. Most of the benefits were fund to be in coffee drinkers who drank more than 3 cups per day. However, some overly stimulated, catabolic, sleep deprived people in our society should not use caffeine at all. Everyone is unique and not every herb is good for everyone.

I haven’t drunk coffee for several years now, preferring herbal teas and pure water, and have been following a mainly-raw diet for three years. The only time I do drink it though is when I visit my elderly aunt, about once every two or three months. I always enjoy visiting her as she’s such a happy and uplifting soul, and we have a laugh together. She makes the coffee with such love that it’s a real pleasure to share it – and the small slice of cake she’s prepared. I think this is healthier than stressing and being too rigid in my choices. It certainly makes me feel good!

It is nice to know that coffee has antioxidants. But I personally drink it because it helps first thing in the moirning to wake me up. It seems to help me think. Sure, that may be the caffene. What ever it is I am adicted to that first cup. During the day i may have a few more cups.

I like that you’ve touched on a key point to regard information with a perspective of balance within context. Apple seeds contain cyanide, but ingesting a few isn’t an occasion for fretting. At the same time, consuming lots of seemingly beneficial things isn’t necessarily conducive to good health either…too much of a good thing etc.

I’m not particularly knowledgeable about antioxidants, but I came across an article asserting how, in particular scenarios, antioxidants can cause or aggravate negative conditions (in this case, cancer). For myself, this was new information. I generally thought of antioxidants as an all around good thing that one could never get enough of.